GOD’S SPIRIT IN US

Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord has promised, ‘And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord’ (Ezk 37:12-14). Along that line, St Paul in his letter to the Romans says that ‘Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you’ (Rms 8:8-11). In today’s gospel according to St John, we find the fulfilment of the prophecy of Ezekiel. We also see the culmination of the message of St Paul in this part of his letter to the Romans. Lazarus, through his friendship with Jesus Christ has the Spirit of God and Our Blessed Lord gives life to his mortal body which was dead. Lazarus rises back to life when Jesus speaks to his Spirit that lives in him. (cf Jn 11:1-45). 

Beloved People of God, when God’s Spirit lives in us, everything in us is alive to the will of God. We listen to God’s voice. We easily obey his command. We appreciate his love, willingly and joyfully, we reciprocate this love in our dealings with fellow human beings. Being open to the Lord’s friendship, benefits us, the challenges to our weak humanity notwithstanding.

As we press towards Easter, we pray that God’s Spirit will live in us. May we open up our hearts and homes to the Lord’s friendship, so that we too may see the glory of God in our homes, our circumstances and all.

Fr. Ted